Food Insecurity and Hunger in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
A new study published by the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank today reports that 657,000 Los Angeles County residents seek emergency food assistance from food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters served by the Foodbank each year.
However, the report also reflects a food shortage and the need for an additional 10.8 million pounds of food to serve everyone seeking emergency food assistance on an annual basis.
In order to highlight the need for more fresh fruits and vegetables, the Foodbank also distributed more than 300,000 pounds of fresh produce, the equivalent of 150 tons, to its network of charitable agencies throughout Los Angeles County.
With 31 percent of food pantries report turning away clients with 'lack of food resources' being one of the primary reasons, we are recommending that new and increased commitments be made to meet this growing demand."
For the agency survey, the average length of operation for the food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters served by the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank is 15 years, and these agencies rely heavily on volunteers to administer their food program.
In addition to distributing food, many agencies offer other services such as health services, employment training and clothing distribution.
More than 50% of agencies report "problems with funding" while 39% of food pantries and 28% of soup kitchens report "problems with food supplies."
The upcoming reauthorization of the congressional "Farm Bill" provides an opportunity to increase this funding; New, creative food or fund drives that allow the public to contribute to this effort in a cost-effective way.
